More Treatment for
Problem Online Gamblers in the UK?

Considering how much here at Online Casino Suite we
report on the positive aspects of online gambling
regulation, it's only fair to let the other side have
their say. In the case of regulation in Britain, the
"other side" has recently come in the shape of "The
Daily Mail" - a British newspaper that has long been
associated with anti-online gambling measures.

The newspaper recently reported there are an alleged
284,000 problem gamblers in Britain currently, and that
the whole of the lot has racked up an estimated £5
billion in debt. A comparison was also made to Prime
Minister Gordon Brown's £2.7 billion fix, and that this
money could be better spent dealing with problem
gambling.

Not going so far to suggest that the British
government should cease regulating online casino
gambling, the report states that there is much more to
be done in keeping problem gambling at bay. A specific
citation alluded to the fact there are no National
Health Service trust's dedicated to treating problem
online gamblers.

The only problem with these figures, says those in
opposition to the Tory Party - who conveniently analyzed
the betting data and made it known to The Daily Mail -
is that the 284,000 problem gamblers cited in the report
are based on the government figure that 284,000 UK
citizens have the potential of developing a problem
gambling habit, but in fact, do not necessarily already
have one.

What the party does have on their side are factual
numbers that show 8,000 more people calling betting
addiction hotlines in 2007 than in 2006, and that the
government only spends an average of £10 per person for
treating gambling addictions, which is a far cry from
the £40 per person spent in Canada and £44 spent in New
Zealand.

Considering that over £2 billion has been
generated in taxes, one would certainly think the
government could stand to spend more in problem gambling
treatment. The counter, says The Culture Department, is
that problem gamblers have not increased in the UK since
1999.